Jay Bilas Unveils Top 68 College Basketball Rankings for 2025-26 Season
The 2025-26 college basketball season officially began Monday night after a tumultuous offseason filled with coaching changes and Transfer Portal activity. Basketball is back, and the storylines this year are especially compelling.
Key Questions for the Season
- Can Florida become the second consecutive program to repeat as National Champions?
- Will Kelvin Sampson lead Houston to its first-ever National Championship?
- Can Duke redeem last season’s Final Four loss and claim the first title of the Jon Scheyer era?
Jay Bilas' Top Team Picks
After just one game into the season, ESPN’s Jay Bilas released his ranking of the top 68 college basketball teams. Purdue sits atop the list as the best team heading into the year.
Purdue Boilermakers
Head coach Matt Painter returns for his 21st season with a strong roster that includes star point guard Braden Smith, sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer, versatile big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, and South Dakota State transfer Oscar Cluff. The Boilermakers aim to reach the National Championship Game for the second time in three years.
The team started the regular season emphatically with an 82-51 victory over Evansville. Fletcher Loyer led the charge, scoring 30 points with an impressive 7-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc.
Purdue has one more warm-up game against Oakland before traveling to Tuscaloosa for a rematch with last year’s non-conference opponent, which Purdue won 87-78.
"Purdue opens the season tabbed as the best team in college basketball by Jay Bilas."
The season is shaping up with exciting matchups and high stakes for top contenders.
Author's summary: Jay Bilas ranks Purdue as the top team for 2025-26 amid high expectations for Florida, Houston, and Duke in a season full of intriguing storylines.